Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 36 amp ships in UK

German firm's most powerful amp to date crosses the channel

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PRESS RELEASE: The most powerful Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister so far is now available in the UK. The MIDI-controllable Tubemeister 36 valve guitar amp boasts a wealth of features that add up to one of the most innovative, flexible amplifiers around.

Three channels, independent gain, master controls and a switchable effects loop are the basis of the Tubemeister. A trio of 12AX7 tubes features in the preamp while the power section sports four EL84s.

But the real power of the Tubemeister 36 comes in the shape of its MIDI capabilities, power soak and Red Box recording output. The power soak allows the TM36 to run at four levels – full power, 18W, 5W or 1W – to suit various live, rehearsal/practice and recording situations. And the amp can also be run silently for late-night recording via the Red Box speaker simulated output.

By enabling MIDI control over the power soak the Tubemeister 36 allows, for example, the Clean channel to be run at full power (36 watts) for huge dynamic range and then switching to the Crunch channel running at 5 watts for fat, grinding rhythm tone. A total of 128 combinations of pre- and power amp settings can be stored for massive versatility.

The raved-about Red Box output simulates the tone of a 4x12 cab for recording or DI into FOH desk while oversized transformers deliver plenty of headroom. And the Tubemeister 36 also features Hughes & Kettner's Tube Safety Control feature, which constantly monitors and adjusts valve bias to ensure power tubes operate reliably.

The Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 36 head carries a recommended retail price of £799. The combo version is expected in the UK later in the year, with MSRP TBC.